By Mark Kaplan / March 19, 2020
Finding ourselves when the world about us is crumbling takes some focus. We have never experienced the tumult, the fear, and the sickness as a global phenomenon in three generations. War was the last global calamity.
This is an opportunity for personal growth. Most of us find ourselves social distancing by isolating in our homes. I do get out most days to bike ride and if it ever stops raining, I will surf. Even when I encounter people, they seem to keep their 6’ of distance.
What Are Some Growth Activities?
Never was there a greater opportunity to be creative. If you ever had that longing to write a book, that time has arrived. If you have not been conditioned to writing, starting a blog or a daily journal is good practice to airing your thoughts and trying to create meaning.
This is a great time to learn. In our daily schedules we often don’t have the time to focus on difficult materials. Now we should be able to find a few hours in the day to dig into something challenging.
Exercise is still possible. What time better than now to begin walking, running, biking, stretching, or any aerobic exercise routing posted on YouTube.
We Can Gain Happiness from These Activities
Learning, creating, contributing, and exercise can stimulate the happiness brain chemicals of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Our day right now could be engaged in activities that create the satisfaction of improving who we are, our opportunities for career advancement, the opportunities to help others, and building fitness.
Kids have a lot of time on their hands and this would be a good time to get them engaged in something meaningful. They could have the same routine of learning, creating, contributing and exercising. Maybe giving them some new keystone habits on a daily basis would continue when the world becomes normal again.
When the World Returns to Normalcy Will You Be Better?
This is an opportunity to spend a few months creating a new you through new habits. A keystone habit is a healthy or meaningful habit that starts changing all your habits.
Just think, if you started some new habits that started changing all your habits for two months, you might come out of this experience with a new dynamic set of powerful habits. You might decide that learning and creating help you develop your potential for promotions or finding your purpose and meaning.
There was never a better time to enjoy work life balance and develop the habits that could continue when work begins again to balance the stress of work with the habits that deliver happiness. This might be a time to find a passion. This might be a time to enjoy solitude. This might be a time to think about a new beginning.
Read Habits of a Happy Brain by Loretta Graziano Breuning Ph.D
Read The Good Life Plan by Mark Kaplan See Excerpts
Read Creating Your Own Happiness- Lifestyle Self-Coaching Course by Mark Kaplan See Excerpts
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See Post Happiness, Fitness, and Mindfulness
See Post How We Enjoy Intensity without Stress
See Post Life Style and Work Life Balance
See Post Creativity Can Be Career Changing
See Post Increasing the Flow in Your Life
See Post Fitness Nutrition and Weight Management
See Excerpts for my Book “The Good Life Plan” Paper Back $6.95 Kindle $2.99
